Closure cap for infusion or transfusion flasks

ABSTRACT

A closure cap is described comprising a body member with a removable insert of plastics material, which insert is sealingly fixed to the body member by means of tongue-like parts, and a covering portion of the insert overlaps the surface of the body member and extends at least to substantially the outer periphery of this body member.

United States Patent Stadler CLOSURE CAP FOR INFUSION OR TRANSFUSION F LASKS [75] Inventor: Reinhard Stadler. Karlsruhe,

Germany [73] Assignee: Futurinvest AG, Lucerne,

Switzerland [22] Filed: Oct. 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 403,072

[52] US. Cl 215/316; 215/277 [51] Int. Cl. B65D 41/62 [58] Field of Search 215/247, 249, 277, 307, 215/316 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1193.128 7/1965 Raun 215/249 X $278,063 10/1966 Kranzhoff 215/247 X Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEB 3,905,504

CLOSURE CAP FOR INFUSION OR TRANSFUSION FLASKS FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to closures for infusion or transfusion flasks appliable for human and veterinarian medicine purposes.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Mass produced closure caps for infusion and transfusion flasks are known in various forms. In one of such known forms a flanged cap is made of aluminium and the withdrawable insert of plastics material is fitted in a central aperture to cover a rubber stopper which closes the neck of the flask. The known forms of closure caps, however, tend not to be sufficiently dust proof and protected against bacteria, because such undesired impurities could enter in the cap between the insert and the cap body and can reach the surface of the rubber stopper. When such rubber stopper is perforated by the needle of a syringe a risk of making the needle unsterile will occur. Furthermore the known closure caps tend to be costly to manufacture by mass production, because of the work involved in the fitting of the removable insert in the central aperture which must be performed in many cases by expensive hand work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved closure cap which provides an improved seal against the admittance of undesired impurities by bacteria.

Another object of the present invention is to provide methods of manufacturing a closure cap which offers a tight closure between body member and insert particularly simply and cheaply.

In accordance with the present invention a closure cap for an infusion or transfusion flask comprises a body member having a depending skirt portion for surrounding the neck of the flask and an apertured end wall and a removable insert of plastics material closing the aperture in the end wall, the insert including an annular groove formed between the underside thereof and a plurality of tongue-like parts which extend radially parallel to the end wall, the annular groove receiving an edge of the end wall which defines the aperture, and the covering portion of the insert arranged to bear against the outside surface of the end wall of the body member to extend to at least substantially the outer periphery of the end wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other and further objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparant to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I shows a longitudinal cross sectional view through a closure cap according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross sectional view through the insert illustrated in FIG. 1 before fitted into the body member of the closure cap.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the closure cap illustrated in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 which illustrates a closure cap of the present invention a flanged body member 1 of aluminium (0.5 mm) is shown, which comprises an end wall 3 having a central circular aperture 4 within it and a downwardly depending cylindrical skirt portion 2 fixed to the neck of an infusion flask (not shown).

A removable insert 5 of plastics, especially thermoplastic material islocated within the aperture 4 to complete the cap, and this insert 5 has an annular groove 6 within which the edge of the end wall defining the aperture 4 is received.

A covering portion 7 integral with the insert 5 extends over and bears against the outer surface of the end wall 3, the periphery of the end wall 3 and a part of the skirt portion 2. The considerable overlap provided by this covering portion 7 extending on to the skirt portion 2 serves to provide a complete seal between the body member 1 and the insert 5, thereby preventing the entrance of bacteria to the rubber stopper or other closure elements which closes the neck of the infusion flask liquid tightly.

The removal of the insert 5 could be performed by drawing the covering portion 7 from the body member 1 with the fingers of the users hand.

The annular groove 6 is formed between the underside of the insert 5 and radially extending tongue-like parts 9, parallel to the end wall 3 of the body member 1.

Before the insert 5 is fitted into the aperture 4 of the body member 1 the tongue-like parts 9 are parts of a tubular portion 10 separated by slots 8 (less than 8 slots are preferred) of the insert 5. After insert 5 has been fitted in a configuration as shown in FIG. 2 into the aperture 4, then a heated ram will turn tongue-like parts 9 with influence of heat upwards to contact them with the inner surface of body member 1 to close aperture 4 and to fix the insert 5 with respect to the body member 1.

In another improved manufacturing method the tongue-like parts 9 have not been formed before fitting the insert 5 into the aperture 4 of the body member 1. The tongue-like parts 9 are later formed by separating the tubular portion 10 by the slots 8 after the insert 5 has been placed in the aperture 4 of the body member I. Then the further manufacturing step is similar to that described above with regard to the first mentioned manufacturing method. The tongue-like parts are heated and turned upwards to contact them with the inner surface of the body member thereby to close uperture 4 and to fix the insert 5 with respect to body member I.

FIG. 3 shows the upper side of a closure cap according to the invention whereby the insert 5 is fitted into the aperture 4 of the body member 1.

Obviously many other modifications and variations of the invention may be made without departing from the spiritual scope thereof.

What I claim is:

l. A sealing device for infusion or transfusion flasks, said device comprising:

a metallic cap having a tubular portion with a first end thereof adapted to be applied around the neck of a flask, and a second end having a radially inwardly extending, flat, disk-shaped annular cover contact with the outer surface of said cover portion and with at least part of said tubular portion of said cap. thereby forming a continuous first sealing surface; and

the inner surface of said cover portion of said cap being in contact with said plurality of tongueshaped portions, thereby forming a second sealing surface.

2. A sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cap is formed of aluminum having a thickness less than 1 mm. 

1. A sealing device for infusion or transfusion flasks, said device comprising: a metallic cap having a tubular portion with a first end thereof adapted to be applied around the neck of a flask, and a second end having a radially inwardly extending, flat, disk-shaped annular cover portion integral with said tubular portion, said cover portion having an annular radially inward edge defining an aperture; a removable insert formed of a plastic material positioned in said aperture, said insert comprising a cup-shaped closure portion, a plurality of tongue-shaped portions extending parallel to said closure portion, and a U-shaped annular groove separating said closure portion and said tongue-shaped portions; said U-shaped annular groove receiving said inward edge of said cover portion of said cap; said cup-shaped closure portion being in contiguous contact with the outer surface of said cover portion and with at least part of said tubular portion of said cap, thereby forming a continuous first sealing surface; and the inner surface of said cover portion of said cap being in contact with said plurality of tongue-shaped portions, thereby forming a second sealing surface.
 2. A sealing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cap is formed of aluminum having a thickness less than 1 mm. 